Sir Bobby Charlton was among the many mourners at the funeral of a Welsh footballer who formed part of the iconic and tragic Manchester United “Busby Babes” side of the 1950s.

Sir Bobby Charlton was among the many mourners at the funeral of a Welsh footballer who formed part of the iconic and tragic Manchester United “Busby Babes” side of the 1950s.

Ken Morgan, who was known as "Kenny Morgans", had an amazing escape from the Munich air disaster in 1958 which killed many of the “babes”.

His body was found in the plane wreckage by two journalists hours after others were pulled free.

Born Kenneth Godfrey Morgan in St Thomas, Swansea, but known as “Kenny Morgans” throughout much of his career, he died in Swansea’s Morriston Hospital earlier this month aged 73 after suffering a brain aneurism.

Sir Bobby Charlton, who became a friend of Morgan when they grew up together at Manchester United, travelled to today’s packed funeral service in a cold but sunny Swansea Crematorium, where the short service was overseen by Father Danny Evans.

It included the football anthem Abide With Me and ended with a recording of Frank Sinatra singing My Way.

The player’s wife of 53 years, Stephanie, was supported by her two sons John and Greg.

A family tribute read out during the service said: “Ken loved football but most of all he loved his wife Stephanie and family.”

Midfielder Morgan made his debut for the Red Devils in December 1957 at just 18 in a 4-0 home win against Leicester City.

But less than two months later Morgan travelled to Belgrade for the club’s ill-fated European Cup trip.

He sustained serious injuries when the team’s plane crashed in Munich after refuelling on the return flight.

He was discovered by the German journalists, scouring the wreckage for their lost film, under a wheel arch, the last survivor to be pulled free.

He played again for United shortly after.

But just months later, Morgan left the famous club and signed for Swansea Town for a £3,000 fee, later playing for Newport County and then became a pub landlord and a ship’s chandler.

The late John Doherty in a book reviewing fellow former United players said: “Kenny burst on to the scene as a slim, pacy, tricky right winger deemed good enough by Matt Busby to remove the far more experienced and combative Johnny Berry from the team. “He held his place during a run of much improved performances leading up to Munich.

“He escaped from the disaster with his life but in football terms he was horribly unlucky. “The impetus of his career was halted brutally. He was only a kid and the trauma must have been overwhelming for him.”

Ken, who lived in Cwmdonkin, Swansea, before his death, later explained in an interview: “I was homesick and couldn’t really settle back into it in Manchester so the move back to my home town suited me.

“I was there two years and then retired, but Billy Lucas, the former Wales wing-half, said I was too young to retire and took me to Newport which I enjoyed for three seasons.

“Then I had a couple of years as manager of Cwmbran in Pontypool and took them up into the Welsh League. I also had a pub, The New Inn. After that I really did retire from football and went back to Swansea.”

An obituary on the Manchester United website said: “Football dealt Kenny Morgans a cruel blow as a young man but there was no bitterness in him.

“It would appear that a happy and fulfilling family life – he was married to Stephanie and was playing football in the park with his great grandsons into his 70s – more than made up for a United career undoubtedly curtailed by Munich.”

United legend Bobby Charlton said on hearing of the player’s death: “My immediate thought was what a smashing little lad he was - I still think of him as the little lad.

“He was fortunate in Munich but he will certainly be missed a lot. He was a very, very nice person and a good player - a tough, little player and fast.

“I'm really very sad because he was one of those very nice people you always like to see.”

Charlton and Morgan walked out on the Liberty Stadium pitch last season before the Swansea versus Manchester Utd game.

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